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Internet Culture

The TikTok glow down challenge is seeing a resurgence

We’ve had a lot of time to ‘reflect’ recently.

Photo of Audra Schroeder

Audra Schroeder

glow down challenge

We’ve had a lot of free time over the last month or so, and that’s led to some detours into questionable fashion and viral dances. But the resurgence of the “glow down” challenge on TikTok is really magnifying this period of isolation.

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As BuzzFeed notes, earlier this month TikTok user Gabrielle McDonald reflected on the TikTok “glow up” trend that shows how participants transformed from awkward teens to hot adults. But she wanted to see photos of people who “physically peaked in high school” versus what they look like now: the glow down.

She posted her own, to be fair.

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https://www.tiktok.com/@gabslife99/video/6813741317957405958

Others followed.

https://www.tiktok.com/@mack_bell11/video/6814198631361563910
https://www.tiktok.com/@jessica.janae/video/6815680575366778117
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https://www.tiktok.com/@ez_the_destroye/video/6815723036159921413

Some of these “glow downs” appear to have only happened over the last few years, and the participants still look great. The definition of “peak” body can and must change over the years. But some people took it back even further.

Glow downs have been a trend on TikTok for a while. A trend in which people shared theirs (and celebrity glow downs), soundtracked by a warped remix of “Please Mr. Postman,” was popular in 2019.

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@girliepopmasc

anyways, I absolutely peaked in 2013, and I will forever be jealous of her #fyp #foryoupage #BestThingSince #2013 #greenscreen #glowup #glowdown ?

♬ I peaked in 2013 – babygirl boyfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxzNK5ZjVRw

But we’ve had a lot of time to reflect recently: staring into Zoom meetings and Face Times, seeing our pale visages staring back at us. The glow down is eternal. Embrace it.

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The Daily Dot